Page 87 of Pride High 3: Yellow

Silvia glared at her a moment before exhaling. “Maybe I am.”

“As someone who can beveryhigh strung, may I make a suggestion?”

Silvia shrugged. “Sure.”

Keisha reached into the pocket of the flannel shirt she wore and pulled out a joint. “Get stoned with me.”

Silvia’s eyes went wide in shock. “Is that real?”

“Of course,” Keisha said, running the joint beneath her nose to take in its scent. “I rolled it myself. You don’t have to, of course. This isn’t a dumb anti-drug commercial full of unrealistic peer pressure. I’m perfectly happy to keep it all to myself. But itdoeshelp take the edge off. For me anyway.”

Mindy often teased that Silvia had gone from being a kid to an adult, skipping over her teen years. But at the moment, she was far away from authority figures and had no pending responsibilities. And yet, she couldn’t change who she was. “What are the risks?”

“Does your boss do drug tests?”

“No.”

“Then it’s probably up there with sneaking a couple beers while your parents are out of town. But I can make sure it’s more like a single beer.”

“I thought you didn’t drink?”

“I don’t” Keisha wiggled the joint with a smirk. “Why would I when I’ve got this?”

Silvia shook her head ruefully, considered their tranquil surroundings once more, and nodded. “Okay. Let’s get high!”

— — —

Cameron was filled with pride as he hauled the freshly restored table inside, Charles leading the way into his home.

“I didn’t expect you to be done so soon,” the older man was saying, “but this is wonderful! Set it down here. Let me take a look.”

Cameron did so, noticing that the living room—normally filled with antiques—was looking sparser. “I really pushed myself to see how quickly I could get it done,” he explained while watching Charles examine the table.

“Considering how busy you must be with school and that adorable boyfriend of yours,” Charles replied, “I’m surprised it got done at all. The work is top notch, as always. You really could make a career of this.”

“A professional would have to be a lot faster.”

“Perhaps, but had I brought this table to one, I likely would have waited a month if not more before he had time to begin. Luckily, I have an ace up my sleeve. And some money in my pocketbook. I’ll be right back.”

Cameron happily surveyed the antiques on display, his gaze lingering on a jadeite candy dish that he had admired previously. “I also wanted to show you this,” he said when Charles returned. Cameron pulled out a small ornate box covered in sculpted flowers. “What do you think?”

“Let me see,” Charles said, handing him a check in exchange. “Isn’t this darling? Art Nouveau. Brass, most likely. Not particularly valuable, but wouldn’t it make a lovely decoration?”

Cameron smiled as it was handed back. “It’s for my friend’s birthday. She’s turning sixteen. I found it at a garage sale. I figure she can keep trinkets in it or whatever.”

“She’ll be delighted, I have no doubt. Would you like some tea?”

Cameron shook his head. “I can’t stay. I have to get to her party.”

“Oh, it’s today? Well you at least have to put a bow on that box. I have satin ribbon that would work a treat!” Charles went to an oak secretary with a drop front and opened one of the desk’s drawers.

“Can you do it for me?” Cameron asked. “I can barely tie my own shoes.”

“Certainly,” Charles said before setting to work.

Cameron looked around again. “You’ve cleared out a lot.”

“Yes! Oh my goodness, you simplymuststop by the new store. You’ll be in heaven. I’m surprised how much I like it myself. There’s so much more room to see the pieces on display. Although I might change my tune when someone actually wants to purchase something. I’m bracing myself for that, but I did promise Lover Boy to make some room. Which between you and me, I’ll likely fill up again with new old things. Here you go.”